Left of the Dial #6

Interview after interview. The people at Left of the Dial really canâ€™t get enough of them, even if I can. My first read through, I stopped at the Editorâ€™s Intro, got into three interviews (Andrew W.K., Avail, and The Bellrays), and had to try almost entirely in vain to find anything that was not either an advertisement or an interview. Needless to say, I was able to get through the entirety of the magazine at a later reading, but when a magazine is practically all-interview, I have to get used to the format before I can approach it head-on. What I am giving major props to Left of the Dial for is the approaching of bands that Iâ€™ve not even heard of â€“ such as Die Kreuzen, Demolition Doll Rods, and The Reputation. Sure, there are some bigger acts interviewed in this zine, such as the three aforementioned bands at the beginning of the interview, but sometimes, smaller bandsâ€™ interviews just are more interesting. For example, I could find about 100 other interviews in other larger punk â€˜zines with Avail, but I would rather read the one interview with The Pattern here. The questions that are asked are typically punchy little things, and the responses are kept relatively short. While I would like anything else (the only other piece in the zine is a sort-of history/scene report of Raleigh, North Carolina) to look at in this zine, what they do focus on is so solid that it almost makes up for it.

Author: James McQuiston

Ph.D. in Political Science, Kent State University.
I have been the editor at NeuFutur / neufutur.com since I was 15. Looking for new staff members all the time; email me if you are interested. Thanks!
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